Deserving NL All Stars.

     This is not a blog about who was selected to the All Star game, but a blog of who should be selected.  And there are generally more than one deserving candidate for each position, so there will be debate either way for most.  I will only include starters to shorten the length of not only the blog, but my research as well. 

C:  Brian Mccann:  OPS+ 141.  McCann is a very good hitting catcher.  But so aren't Geovanny Soto and Russell Martin.  However McCann has been even better this year.  And even Soto has separated himself some from Martin, although again, all three have been good.  Soto has the better Caught Stealing % and that is the only defensive stat I will look at, because most of the stuff a catcher does behind the plate cannot be evaluated the proper way.  So I will disregard it because I cannot prove how good they are at Game Calling, etc.  But obviously Soto is a very good choice too.  Plus, McCann has played in one more game, so obviously he is the right choice.  :)

1B:  Lance Berkman:  OPS+ 190.  One could not go wrong with Albert Pujols either.  They are separated by 1% of OPS+.  And of course Pujols has the reputation and defensive metrics stating that he is among the few best defensive first baseman in baseball.  But Berkman does have some more at bats, and leads the league in "Win Shares" six ahead of Pujols.  I don't know how much Win Shares even matters, but I do still feel some desire to refer to them, especially in a very close matter such as this. 

2B:  Chase Utley:  OPS+ 151.  Again, two very deserving candidates, but Utley is the superior defender.  Uggla has been slightly better at the plate with an OPS+ of 161, but it is an up the middle position and I have no problem letting defense make up the "lack-of" offense, if one could even call it that.  But I wonder if their defensive abilities were switched, and OPS+'s were switched, would I choose Uggla?  It doesn't hurt to have Utley's reputation, let us leave it at that. 

3B:  Chipper Jones:  OPS+ 193.  I made a comment the other day saying that David Wright was the 2nd best 3B in baseball behind (kiddingly) Mike Lowell.  But an actuality the best is obviously Alex Rodriguez.  But I totally forgot about Chipper Jones.  Wright still may be second, because Chipper Jones at this stage in his career does get hurt.  But I simply didn't even think of him at the time.  And Chipper has clearly been the best this season and deserves to start.

SS:  Hanley Ramirez:  OPS+ 149.  Let me remind everyone once again that Ramirez is a Shortstop.  And that OPS+ is simply ridiculous.  Now he isn't much of **** in a sense, because he cannot field, and he may need to move to third, but his bat makes up for that.  Plus, I saw Jose Reyes get picked off.  He obviously isn't as deserving.  Another smiley should be inserted here. 

OF:  Pat Burrell:  OPS+ 155.  Is this sufficient enough for you Phillies fans?  Burrell has always been pretty good, but has never been consistent enough for such an unforgiving, unaccepting city.  This season, he seems to be putting it together. 

OF:  Jason Bay:  OPS+ 140.  He is tied for fourth in Win Shares in the NL.  Underrated year, because he plays for a team that gets little publicity.  But he is deserving of being on this team. 

OF:  Nate Mclouth:  OPS+ 131.  Mclouth is a CF who doesn't get much press because he, like Jason Bay, plays for the Pittsburgh Pirates.  There are more than just these three deserving candidates, but these are three that I went with.

P:  Edinson Volquez:  ERA+ 200.  Volquez is having a truly great year.  But Tim Lincecum has virtually the same K/9 as Edinson and has a better K/BB ratio, yet I still chose Volquez.  But they are very close.